Gas turbine engines typically include a compressor, at least one combustor in a combustor section, and a turbine. The compressor and turbine each include alternating rings of stationary vanes, and rotating blades. A fan delivers air into the compressor where the air is compressed and then delivered downstream into the combustor section. In the combustor section, the air received from the compressor is mixed with fuel and ignited to create combustion gases that enter the turbine. The turbine is rotatably driven as the high temperature, high pressure combustion gases expand in passing over the blades forming the turbine. Since the turbine is connected to the compressor via one or more shafts, the combustion gases that drive the turbine also drive the compressor, thereby restarting the ignition and combustion cycle.
The compressor in a gas turbine engine typically comprises a low pressure compressor section and a high pressure compressor section. For example, a turbofan jet engine includes a low pressure compressor section disposed between the fan at the inlet of the engine and the high pressure compressor section. The low pressure compressor section and the high pressure compressor section increase the pressure of the incoming air stream as it flows along a core air flow path. Both the low pressure compressor section and high pressure compressor section include alternating rings of stationary vanes and rotating blades enclosed in a circumferential case.
A compartment is disposed between the low pressure compressor section and the engine longitudinal axis. The compartment is disposed around a forward bearing, a fan thrust bearing, and at least the portion of the fan shaft that encloses the geared architecture that drives the fan. If the event of a failure of the fan thrust bearing, the fan shaft and geared architecture may move forward within the compartment toward the front of the engine and, possibly, out of the engine. Such movement is undesireable.